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I think this is a testament to the amazing members here, and the incredible community we have made here. I actually limit my listings, sharpening jobs, etc, so I can keep up with my orders. It's a catch 22, however, because the less new product I have the less people stay interested...anywho.

Dave, this is a wise decision, on your part. Jon, I wish you luck....

I agree. I also think it's a testament to the fact that kitchen knives is the fastest growing segment of the market. Yeah, being too busy with orders is the kind of problem we should all have.

I'm glad you hear you at least have a plan to structure your business in a more manageable way Dave.

FWIW, I have come to expect a long wait 1-2ys or more on work from top-tier individual makers (your knives fall into that "best of the best" category).

I think that what you want to avoid doing is over promising and under delivering. If you think that your wait list is at 1yr and then completion once started is going to take another month, then give an estimated of 18 months; not 13. Pad your estimates with enough breathing room that you can breath and **** can happen without throwing you into frantic behind schedule mode.

Set expectations that are reasonable up front and explain them to your potential customers. If answering individual update emails is killing you, then set the expectation that you will not give individual waitlist updates on an adhoc basis, but will just post regular status updates ever month or send out scheduled individual updates once every quarter or something.

Figure out what it manageable and sustainable for you, lay it out clearly and up front, and I think people will be / stay happy (and if not, they can piss off and make room for someone else on the waitlist).

Yeah, being too busy with orders is the kind of problem we should all have.

This was my point. I, of course, have nothing but best wishes from those on the forum, but this struck me as just a little too much complaint and not quite enough gratefulness for what clearly has become an extremely successful endeavor. Just sayin'.

Bike, if you think I'm complaining then I've failed in my message. You couldn't find a more grateful person than myself and I'm sure Jon is the same. It's just that it can be frustrating trying to make anyone happy when trying to make everyone happy, it takes the wind out of your sails to never meet the demand.

Glad to see you're back on track there. Hopefully with the sale of the site you can focus on making knives again.

I always like the "What's on the bench" threads or like Stefan's spread sheet so you can see where you are at on the list. Maybe you can post something like that up again just so peeps can see where things are relatively at in the way of progress. I always get excited when someone ahead of me gets moved off the list even if I'm still a ways out. It's still one closer than before!!

I'm glad you hear you at least have a plan to structure your business in a more manageable way Dave.

FWIW, I have come to expect a long wait 1-2ys or more on work from top-tier individual makers (your knives fall into that "best of the best" category).

I think that what you want to avoid doing is over promising and under delivering. If you think that your wait list is at 1yr and then completion once started is going to take another month, then give an estimated of 18 months; not 13. Pad your estimates with enough breathing room that you can breath and **** can happen without throwing you into frantic behind schedule mode.

Set expectations that are reasonable up front and explain them to your potential customers. If answering individual update emails is killing you, then set the expectation that you will not give individual waitlist updates on an adhoc basis, but will just post regular status updates ever month or send out scheduled individual updates once every quarter or something.

Figure out what it manageable and sustainable for you, lay it out clearly and up front, and I think people will be / stay happy (and if not, they can piss off and make room for someone else on the waitlist).

Makes sense Justin> you have to manage expectations. In a gist.. offer/ promise less so that that you can over deliver. Its a big difference in perception. I day late is one date late. IF it is one day earlier.. the preception is vastly different.. efficient, what a service! etc. IF you " over deliver" it is always a pleasant surprise!

AS a business owner, if you have to do everything by yourself.. it takes away from activities that generates revenues. We also have to farm out or do away what is not productive and if it is still essential to teh business, employ someone that can do it for you so that you continue to do higher income generating revenue. IF only 2 Stephan handles or 4 knife sharpening per day can pay for an assistant... why not?

It is very obvious that Knife making adn related activities is yr passion adn being a founder and chief administrator of a very visible and successful Forum can be fun, we only have a certain number of hours per day to do work.. adn something must go....